Industry moves and mergers

CSC Digital Brand Services has acquired IP Mirror, a provider of corporate domain name registration and online brand protection services.

Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP has announced that Michelle A Cooke has joined the Los Angeles office as a partner in the firm’s IP group. Cooke joins from Steptoe & Johnson LLP. The move follows the arrival of a three-partner IP team – Robert W Dickerson Jr, Yasser M El-Gamal and Lawrence R LaPorte – in October 2014.

Sparke Helmore Lawyers has announced the appointment of Richard Chew as a partner in the IP and technology team in Sydney. Chew joins from Piper Alderman.

The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) has named Lisa K Jorgenson as the new executive director. Jorgenson previously served as a member of the AIPLA board of directors from 2005 to 2008.

Duane Morris LLP has announced that Andrea M Augustine has joined its IP practice group as a partner in Chicago. Augustine joins from AlbertDhand.

President Obama has nominated Kara Farnandez Stoll, a partner at Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett and Dunner LLP, to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; Stoll fills the seat vacated by Judge Rader. Obama also nominated Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo, a US district judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

The 2014 International Trademark Association (INTA) President’s Awards have been awarded to Cynthia Rowden of Bereskin & Parr LLP and Virginia Taylor of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. In addition, Theodore Davis of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and Verena von Bomhard of Hogan Lovells (Alicante) SL & Cia received the Advancement of Trademark Law Award; Mark Feldman of DLA Piper LLP and Michael Hawkins of Noerr Alicante IP SL won the Advancement of Committee or Sub-committee Objectives Award; Mona Lee of Hanol Law Offices and Paul McGrady of Winston & Strawn LLP received the Advancement of the Association Award; Loreto Bresky of Alessandri & Compania received the Award for Pro Bono Legal Services by an Individual; and Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP was awarded the Award for Pro Bono Legal Services by a Member Organisation. The winners were recognised during an awards ceremony at INTA’s Leadership Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on November 13 2014.

Neil Wilkof of Dr Eyal Bressler and Company has been elected to the INTA Board of Directors for a three-year term.

Tim Behean, former general counsel group IP for the adidas group, has joined UK IP law firm Sipara.

Partners at Locke Lord LLP and Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP have approved the merger of the two firms effective January 10 2015. It will be known as Locke Lord Edwards LLP.